Small, emerging technology companies are being matched with engineering students through a new program that aims to provide startups with staff and students who have some business know-how.

Talentbridge is a new program at the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation that pays 75 per cent of the salary for a student who works four days a week for tiny local tech start-ups in exchange for assurances that they will be mentored through the process. The company pays 25 per cent of the student's salary, and allows the student to spend a day a week at OCRI to help develop the next generation of the program.

'''Look, you know, if you're trying to teach these students how to start companies, companies start in garages and at the Code Factory and Starbucks and so on."'— Alan Isfan, Favequest

Sonia Riahi, one of the first three students to go through the program, said her experience at Gallium Visual Systems Inc. has given her a lot of confidence, helped her develop connections with business knowledge, and changed her outlook.

"It's gone from being a very abstract idea in my mind, to a concrete goal, now — that I want to start a business," said Riahi, who ended up switching her master's away from engineering research to management studies after working for Gallium. The company makes visual display systems for defence and air traffic control applications.

Riahi said the Talentbridge program is different from co-op programs she has been in before that had her doing jobs she already knew how to do.

In this case, she said, "you're working in something you have no background in, so it's really just an opportunity to learn as much as you can about business, marketing sales, with people who make decisions in the company."

Riahi is now an ambassador for the program, which was conceived by Manu Sharma, manager for entrepreneurship development and innovation support at OCRI. He said the program ensures that when students go out to look for a job, they have already been exposed to the business challenges faced by tech firms and are familiar with the ecosystem in Ottawa.

No office? No problem

It's also allows some very small companies to hire staff they otherwise couldn't afford.

Alan Isfan is the founder of Favequest, a software firm that has built a service to help companies connect with people who spend a lot of time on social networking sites such as Facebook or MySpace.

So far, nobody involved in starting the company has gotten paid at all, relying on credit cards, lines of credit and "a lot of sweat equity," Isfan said.

It doesn't even have actual office space. Instead, the founders work out of their homes or at a shared office space downtown called the Code Factory.

Nevertheless, Isfan managed to convince Sharma to help students to work at Favequest through the Talentbridge program.

"Basically, I went back to Manu and I said, 'Look, you know, if you're trying to teach these students how to start companies, companies start in garages and at the Code Factory and Starbucks and so on,'" he recalled.

"'Why don't you get these guys to actually see this? Not after the fact when people have raised money, and have office space and payroll and all that stuff.'"

Euphoria and disappointment

In the end, Sharma agreed.

Isfan said students are going to see some failures in the type of environment faced by new start-ups, such as when his company reached a deal that was later delayed.

"They were part of the euphoria when we got the deal and they were part of the disappointment when the deal got delayed," he said of his students. "So they get to see the business part of it."

He also acknowledged that there were some growing pains as the company tried to figure out how to deal with the students.

"But the stuff is getting done … it's bringing value to us and we're hoping to extend these students into the summer time," he said.

Sharma is currently expanding the program and plans to choose 12 students for next term from the 10 to 12 resumes he receives each week. He said he's also getting more requests from startup firms as more find out about the program.